MSI Z170A Gaming M5

Overview

MSI’s Z170A Gaming M5 sits right in the middle of MSI’s Gaming “M” series motherboards and they have done things quite well with it. With a gaming motherboard you want a certain set of features and this board has many gaming features covered and a lot more added!

-- As reviewed by ThinkComputers

TechSpot Metascore

Based on 8 expert reviews

Excellent:

5
Good:

3
Average:

0
Bad:

0

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Last revision on June 1, 2017

Reviewers Liked

Attractive redandblack aesthetics
Two metal-reinforced PCI Express slots
USB 3.1 Gen 2 support
USB 3.1 and dual 32 Gb/s M.2 slots
Cool gaming software and a free 1 year license for XSplit
Post code display also shows temperature

Reviewers Didn't Like

Only two USB 3.1 ports (one Type A) and four USB 3.0 ports
No onboard power/reset buttons or WiFi
Not power and rest buttons

Competitors and Related Products

Our editors hand-pick related products using a variety of criteria: direct competitors targeting the same market segment, or devices that are similar in size, performance, or feature sets.

Expert reviews and ratings

Well then it's time to wrap up and deliver a conclusion. Ideally we would want to talk solely about the board, but as it coincides with a new CPU's launch we have to cover both, and look at the bigger picture. However in future reviews, now that we...

By techicize.com on December 07, 2015

The Z170 gaming series reviews from MSI started with Z170A Gaming M5 motherboard. It left me with a very good impression.The red and black aspect is quite nice while the features like DDR4 Boost, Military Class 5 components and overclocking capabilities...

By reviewstudio.net on October 14, 2015

It's a shame the latest EFI seemed to hamper overclocking, but unless you're looking for an every day overclock of 4.6GHz or over, or want to use the Z170A Gaming M5 to benchmark, then something in the region of 4.3-4.5GHz is perfectly achievable with...

By Bit-tech.net on September 11, 2015

Thanks to USB 3.1 Gen 2 and dual M.2 support, along with a pair of reinforced graphics slots, this is our favorite board so far for a gaming-centric Skylake build on a budget. Read...

By Computer Shopper on September 09, 2015

The MSI Z170A GAMING M5 is the third iteration of MSI's mid-range Gaming board that we have seen and now in Z170 form it looks better than ever! If you're in the market for a new Z170 based Gaming board then this latest version is still a solid choice....

By pcGameware UK on September 05, 2015

100

MSI arguably has the most future-proof Z170 motherboard we've seen so far, with twin M.2 slots designed with thicker, stacked memory SSDs in mind, two SATA Express ports and great overclocking performance, albeit not the best we've seen. A comprehensive...

By Expert Reviews on August 05, 2015

By ThinkComputers on August 05, 2015

Pricing The MSI Z170A GAMING M5 is available from Overclockers UK for £142.99 plus shipping. Around the £100 mark, there's a huge selection of motherboards offering impeccable value. However, you have to take into account the Z170A GAMING M5's dual M.2...

By eTeknix on April 01, 2016

With a great price and cutting-edge features, like USB 3.1 Gen 2 and dual M.2 support, the MSI Z170A Gaming M5 motherboard is a standout pick for a Skylake-based gaming...

By PC Mag on March 18, 2016

Buyers who want or need the software suite will find extra value in MSI's Z170A Gaming M5. Other potential buyers should make their decision based solely upon onboard features and their own overclocking...

By Tom's Hardware UK on November 25, 2015

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MSI Z170A Gaming M5

Overview

Pros & Cons

Reviews

Price: $199

TechSpot Metascore

Reviewers Liked

Reviewers Didn't Like

Competitors and Related Products

MSI Z170A Gaming M7

Asus Z170 Deluxe

Asus ROG Maximus VIII Hero

Gigabyte Z97X-SOC Force

Expert reviews and ratings